


True Colors

by 4vrAFangirl



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, Heartbreak, Not quite a fix-it, Season/Series 03 Spoilers, but hinting at the possibility of hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6883654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4vrAFangirl/pseuds/4vrAFangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Major Hewlett is drafting his letter of resignation and request to return to England when an unexpected visitor may provide a small beacon of hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	True Colors

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the tags, this isn't quite a 'fix-it' fic, because quite frankly I am not yet up to the task of writing one. I'm still nearly as emotionally raw from last night's episode as Hewlett, but I do not want to give up on the first actually canon ship I've had in far too long. I want to keep the faith, and will ship this in hell, even if that's where shipping it and the Turn writers take us all. So this is just a brief one-shot which at least hints at the possibility that it's not all over for these two yet.
> 
> I'm not terribly fond of Mary Woodhull as a whole, so forgive me if she seems in any way a little OOC here, she's mostly just a means to an end, because I couldn't imagine Abe being humble and caring about what Hewlett is going through enough to share the letter himself.

"Mrs. Strong, I beg you," Hewlett pleads softly, voice soft and unsteady, "If you have any care for me at all, leave me in peace."

"It's Mary, actually, Major Hewlett," the young woman replies gently, causing him to look up from the letters he's been trying to write conveying his intentions to the army resign his post, and to his mother about his coming home soon but solo.

"I'm afraid I'm poor company at present Mrs. Woodhull, is there something that you need," Hewlett asks, although it's clear his heart isn't in it. Everyone in attendance at the wedding could see his heart had been crushed when Anna blamed him for the forgery.

"Yes, I- I have something you need to see," Mary nods, pulling a small folded letter from the pocket of her apron an hanging it over to him.

"Mrs. Woodhull," Hewlett replies a little impatiently. "This letter is addressed to your husband. If this concerns the spy ring, then you would be best to bring it to the Garrison after they have appointed my new replacement, as you will have no doubt heard I am resigning my post, and intend to sail back to England with the first available passage."

"You know whose script that is," Mary presses.

"All the more reason against my reading it."

"Please-"

"Mrs. Woodhull, I have given everything that I have to give, and find myself left with nothing. I do not owe you, nor a soul in this town any favors," Hewlett replies, handing the letter back to her without bothering to glance at its contents.

"Dear Abraham," Mary begins to read aloud, a small rather pitiful and completely undignified sound of pain and protest escaping him.

"Please," Hewlett begs shaking his head. _He can't._ He can't hear the woman he loves, the woman who has broken his heart celebrating her victory with the man he could never hope to be, the one whose history he was foolish to have ever have hoped to compete with. 

"It appears you now have all that you want or need. A clear path to continue your work for Washington. I, however, have lost everything else. I have no home, no husband, no man to love or to love me… no reason to stay in this place I’ve known all my life," Mary continues, although she at least looks a little pained for what she is putting him through in doing so. Not enough to end his misery however, Hewlett thinks brokenly as he collapses back into the seat at his desk.

"I can at least tell myself that I saved a decent man from being the next casualty of your mission- though at the cost of his hope and happiness. You drove me to befriend him, Abraham. And when I did you made me pay for it. And for that I am not sure I can ever forgive you. In some ways I fear that the man I once gave my heart to is gone for good. Maybe one day love- even if now curled into bitterness and jealousy- will find you again. And if it does…then perhaps there is still hope that this war, that has already cost us so much… will not have cost us everything," Mary concludes, folding the letter back up and placing it in her pocket once more.

"My husband meant to kill you Major. Because of what you know, because what he's seen and done in this war has made it all but impossible for him to trust in anyone but himself. However falsely it may have begun, Anna does care about you. Loves you."

"Mrs. Woodhull-"

"I know because it's here in her own script, because she pleaded and fought with Abraham up to the moment you were to be married to spare your life, I know because she used to look on my husband the way she looked on you. And Abraham knew it too, that's why he could never allow you both to go through with the wedding. Not because of the forgery that would have made it all possible, but because he cannot conceive or allow Anna Strong to love or be happy with anyone else, the way she might have been with you."

"I won't pretend there is any love lost between us," Mary acknowledges. "Or that there isn't some selfishness on my part in wanting to see her happily settled so that I might finally try to make peace among my family and have it whole again. But I thought perhaps you deserved to know the truth."

"An- Mrs. Strong has already left," Hewlett asks finally, uncertainly. Mary nods.

"I assume so. No one has yet seen her since the wedding, and I doubt she would have left this for Abraham if there was still a chance of him catching up with her.

"Then I'm afraid I don't understand what you want me to do with this knowledge." Mary shrugs.

"What you will. But you know Anna's friends, the men whose families you detained in the Garrison when the rebels attacked. With no one left here, it seems likely that's where she would start if she's to start over, doesn't it?"

"But they're rebels," Edmund protests weakly.

"So is Anna. She always has been, and some part of you, however small, must have suspected, even if you chose to ignore it as Richard and I did with Abraham for far too long. But if it is not to bold to say," Mary continues, although Hewlett seriously doubts at this point that the young woman cares how bold or improper any of this is anymore. "You won't be an officer in his Majesty's Royal Army for much longer. You could be free to wear and support whichever colors you wish."

"You are suggesting treason."

"I am suggesting nothing but that you consider your own welfare and happiness," Mary replies calmly. "My apologies for the interruption, I will leave you to your letters."


End file.
